Zortrax opens up 3D printers to third-party materials

Desktop 3D printer manufacturer, Zortrax is opening up its 3D printers to third party 3D printing material profiles in the latest version of its Z-SUITE software.

The update means users of the Zortrax M200 and Zortrax M300 3D printers will be able to experiment with materials outside of the Zortrax Ecosystem.

Until now, Zortrax users have been limited to the company’s proprietary materials range but demand from the maker community has encouraged the Polish printer maker to take an open market approach.

“We have received signals from users who wanted to experiment with external printing materials not included in our current material range. The newest software update is a response to those signals," says Zortrax Chairman of the Management Board, Rafał Tomasiak.

Z-SUITE allows users to easily and intuitively change 3D printing settings. Infill level, model splicing, size control and printing speed can all be modified using the software. In addition, Z-SUITE features separate settings depending on the selected printing material which allows users to adjust the operating temperature of the machine for optimal printing quality.

The open market ethos is a popular one throughout the maker community and has been championed by companies such as Aleph Objects who have gone from strength to strength with a free innovation approach to its LulzBot printer range. Though Zortrax's news will be welcomed by the community, the company insists that its initial approach to make its machines and software compatible with only its own materials range was to ensure quality and reliability and it will continue to encourage customers to use these materials to guarantee the best results.

Tomasiak continued: "Please keep in mind, only way to ensure the top quality and hardware reliability of our solutions is by using Zortrax materials."

Zortrax current range of 3D printing materials includes:

Z-ABS - designed for printing concept models and mock-ups, available in 11 colours.

Z-PETG - provides models with a shiny surface immune to damage caused by mechanical factors, time and light. It is also highly resistant to salts, acids, bases and solvents. Available in grey and black.

Z-ULTRAT - an original Zortrax polymer available in 22 colours with increased resistance to external factors and easy mechanical post-processing.

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